Banjo



E A. STATHOPOULO. BANJO.

APPLICATION FI'LED JUNE 17. 1919.

' 1,347,597 Patented July 27,1920,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MONT-MW 1Q;

' E. A. STATHOPOULO.

' BANJO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, I919.

Patented July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BANJO.

To (all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EPAMINONDAS A. STATHOPOULO, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Banjos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to banjos.

An important object of the invention is to provide in a banjo an amplifying means which may be readily installed upon the body of the banjo without detracting from the general appearance of the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide a banjo which consists of few parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and which may be placed on the market at a compara tively low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the fol lowing description, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the invention consists of the general arrangement of parts and constructions that will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a top plan of a banjo constructed in accordance with my inventlon,

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, and,

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sectional views of modified forms of my invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown the preferred forms of my invention, the numeral 5 indicates a main body or shell of a banjo comprising a plurality of annular strips 6, to the bottom of which is secured a strip 7 to protect the edges of the annular strip 6 as will be apparent when considering the disclosure as shown in Fig.2.

To the main body 5 there is secured a plurality of brackets 8 by means of screws or bolts 9 passed through the plurality of strips 6. Upon the upper face of the main body 5 there is imposed a ring 10 which comprises an elongated flange 11 extending downwardly around the outer face of the main body 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The flange 11 carries an arcuate shaped portion 12 which is apparent, forms through- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1919.

Patented July 27,1920.

Serial No. 304,812.

out its entire length a depression 13. To the arcuate shaped portion 12 there is secured a depending flange 14 having at its lower edge an inwardly turned ring 15 seated upon the upper edge of the main body 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the flange 11 together with the arcuate shaped portion 12 and depending flange 14 forms with the upper end of the main body 5 a chamber indicated by the numeral 16.

Over the flange 11 there is placed a ring 17 to which is secured a head 18, the head 18 being secured at its outer edge to ring 17 and stretched tightly over the ring 10 to form with the arcuate shaped portion 12 a chamber 19. Upon the ring 17 there is imposed a band 20 having a groove 21 arranged therein to receive the hooked end 22 of an adjustable clamp 23 passed through the bracket 18 and held therein by means of a nut2 1. It will be noted from F ig. 1 that I employ the conventional form of neck 25 and tail-piece 26 to which are secured banjo strings 27 passed over a bridge 28.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that when the strings 27 are caused to vibrate, the vibration will be imparted to the head 18 and thence onwardly to the ring 10, over which the head is stretched.

In considering Figs. 3, 4 and 5 wherein is shown modified forms of my invention, it will be noted that the main body 5 is composed of a plurality of strips 6 substantially the same as those hereinbefore described. It will further be noted that certain elements such as those indicated by the numerals 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 are substantially identical with the elements indicated by the numerals 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 hereinbefore described. The construction shown in Fig. 3 differs, however, from the construction hereinbefore described in that the chamber 16 is provided with a head receiving ring indicated as a whole by the numeral 29. The ring 29 is adapted to rest upon the main body 5 as shown and is depressed as shown at 30 to provide a chamber 31. The ring further is rolled at its inner periphery to provide a channel 32. The

form of my invention shown in Fig. 4

differs from that hereinbefore described in that the main body 5 is decreased in height to accommodate a.solid metal ring 33 having flanges 34 provided thereon to retain the ring in position upon the main body. The ring 33 1s further prov1ded with flanges at its upper face as shown at 35, one of the the main body of the construction com-' prises an outer rim 37 and an inner rim 38 which are secured together by a binding strip 39. The binding strip together with the inner and outer rim forms a chamber 40 relatively large as compared with the chambers 16, 31 and 36 hereinbefore described. The inner rim is provided with a plurality of apertures L1 equally spaced from each other.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A banjo comprising a main body, a ring imposed upon said body, said ring comprising a relatively deep flange encircling the main body and having engagement with the peripheral surface of said body, an arcuate portion secured to said flange, a depending flange secured to said arcuate portion, a ring secured to said depending flange, said, ring being seated upon the upper face O'lf. said body at the inner edge thereof, said flange, arcuate portion, and depending flange being so arranged as to form with said body a chamber, a vibratory head stretched over the first mentioned ring and formin with said arcuate portion a chamher, and means for varying the tension of said head.

EPAMINONDAS A. STATHOIOULO. 

